Latch



Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNETED STATES i OFFICE.

JOI-IN DAVID-MOSS, OF FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA.

LATCH.

Application filed November 3, 1925, Serial No. 66,590, and in Australia December 22, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in A person desiring to enter the gate from the latches.

In using most of the latches at present installed, it is necessary to reach over to the inside of the gate to disengage the latch. As a result, difficulty is frequently experienced in opening gates fixed by such latches, particularly in the dark, when their presence is not apparent.

The present invention concerns improvements in latches, whereby they can also be opened from the outside of the gate, the improved latches being also characterized in that when released they automatically take up a locking position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a swinging latch member pivoted to the gate stile, such latch member comprising a latch bar, a connecting bar on the hinge side of the stile, and a front bar opposite and parallel to the latch bar.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my latch applied to a gate, and

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.

In these drawings 10-is the gate post, 11 the catch attached thereto, whilst 12 is the adjacent gate stile. Pivoted to the stile is a swinging latch member comprising a latch bar 13, a. connecting bar 14 positioned on the hinge side of the stile,l and a front bar 15 opposite and parallel to the latch bar 13. The connecting bar 14 is preferably provided with an upper protuberance or stop 16 to limit downward movement of its catch engaging end. It is also preferably provided with a lower protuberance or stop 17, which similarly limits movement in the opposite direction. As shown, the latch bar 13, connecting bar 14, front bar 15, and protubc-rances or stops 16 and 17 have been formed of and in one piece of suitable material, but obviously the elements aforesaid may be separately formed and assembled together if so desired.

The swinging latch member must be pivoted to the gate stile 12 which is conveniently effected by passing a screw 13 through a. sulliciently large hole provided in the latch bar 13 and thence into the stile 12, and by similarly attaching another screw 19 relatively to the front bar 15.

The gate latch is operated as follows:

outside, lifts the front bar 15, whereupon the swinging latch member as a whole turns on the pivots or screws 18 and 19, with the result that the latch bar 13 is disengaged .from the catch 11, and the gate can be opened. It will be noted that excessive movement in the direction indicated is prevented by the stop 16. As 'soon as released, the latch member swings upwardly but not higher than the top edge of the catch 11, by reason of gravitational influence which tends to pull the back portion of such latch down until the stop 17 rests against the stile12. lVhen the latch bar 13 presses against the tapered face of the catch 11, it is pushed into the position shown in Fig. 1. On it being desired to open the latch from the inside of the gate, the rear portion of the latch bar 13 is raised, which depresses the front portion and disengages it from the catch 11. It should be noted that although a simple type of inverted catch has been illustrated, the invention does not depend on the type of catch employed. Thus the ordinary type of swinging D catch can be used in conjunction with my invention.

It will be noted that the latch and its appurtenant parts can be used for left as well as for right sided gates. If used for a left sided gate, the stop 16 will occupy the position occupied by the stop 17 in Fig. 1, and conversely.

I claim 1. A latch comprising the combination of a catch; a latch bar; a connecting bar fast to the latch bar; a front bar fast to the connect-ing bar; and means intermediate the ends of the latch bar and the front bar for pivoting the latch bar and the front bar so that gravitational iniiuence will tend to keep the latch locked.

2. A latch comprising the combination of a catch; a latch bar; a connecting bar fast to the latch bar; a front bar fast to the connecting bar; and means intermediate the ends of the latch bar and the front bar for pivoting the latch bar and the front bar so that gravitational influence will tend to keep the latch locked,`said connecting bar having forwardly projecting stops to limit the movement of the latch. Y

Dated this 16th day of September 1925.

JOHN DAVID-MOSS.

sol 

